Candle light
by THORina2245
Summary: How would of Katniss's life ended up with no hunger games? lets see shall we.
1. sunset

**Candle light**

It was a dark winters evening, Katniss and her little sister Prim were sat by the fire, watching the embers being blown around in the air, but only to sway to the floor and turn to ash. It was the only source of heat they had, no radiators; they couldn't afford to have them on. So Katniss and her dad use to go to the forest and collect wood from trees that had fallen down from the harsh winds. That's before her dad died though. A year from today. Her mother was up stairs crying in her bedroom, she hasn't been the same since, she doesn't look after her daughters anymore, no that's Katniss's job now. She's only sixteen and she has to take up the roll of her mother, collecting food, getting firewood, selling the goat's milk to earn money. She despised her mother for abandoning them but she knew what she was going through, she knew she needed time.

Katniss got up and said she was going to the woods. She shuffled through the fence that kept the villagers from danger and made her way to her bow and arrow which she hid in the hollow of a tree. She made her way to where she meets Gale and waited while eating some berries from a bush. She heard his footsteps, she quickly moved behind a boulder and waited for him to pass, when he did he looked around for her but when he couldn't see her he looked disappointed, Katniss tiptoed out from behind the boulder and jumped on his back, he laughed and spun her around so they were face to face, shared a kiss and sat down. "I thought you stitched me up for a moment." "Would I do that?" they were silent for a moment until Katniss said "How many times I don't like that baker boy…" she rolled her eyes " Yeah but he likes you." Gale mumbled. Katniss rapped he arms around Gale as they watched the sunset and said "But I love you." He looked in her eyes and smiled "I love you too." They kissed again and listened to the birds sing.


	2. school fight

**Candle light**

Katniss and Gale walked home together, when they reached Katniss's house Gale gave her a kiss about two seconds before Prim opened the door, Gale and Katniss jumped apart, Prim stared at both of them with a disapproving look as Gale did his best not to laugh. Katniss pushed Prim aside as she rolled her eyes. "Oh isn't Gale coming in … wouldn't have thought you two could stay away from each other." Gale picked Prim up as he stepped inside and shut the door behind him "Actually I am staying and it's because I wanted to see you." Prim rolled her eyes again as she said "Oh yeah, likely story." "Oh she caught me… so…. Katniss do you need help in the kitchen?" Katniss smirked as Prim spoke "Actually, I do the salads and Katniss did the food earlier but since you offered." Gale smiled at the ceiling, dropped his head and walked into the kitchen with Prim as she smiled to herself.

Once they were done, Gale was so tired of being criticised on how to cut the lettuce that he left Prim to do it as he dropped his head on the table. He opened his eyes only to see Prim's filled with tears, he lifted his head and she quickly turned around so he couldn't see her wiping her eyes. "Prim?" Gale said softly "What's the matter?" "Hmm, what… I'm fine. I just…nothing." Gale leaned over from the chair and took Prim's hand in his she turned around. Gale could see that she wasn't fine. She started to cry uncontrollably, he pulled her over and hugged her, tried to comfort her until she could speak. "There's a boy that … I liked …. But he, he said that I was ugly and that didn't belong around with people like him, that … I was beneath him." Prim started crying heavily. Gale hugged her helped her up so they were face to face and then grabbed her by the shoulders and said "Prim don't listen to him, your beautiful, your sooo much better than him." "But then why would he say that?" "Because he's stupid and he thinks he should be the only one that's good looking. What's his name?" "Josh Bashto." "Wait isn't he in my year?" "Yeah…" "Prim he's a lot older than you." "Yeah I know but he seemed really nice." "Prim…"

The next day when Gale was at school he saw Josh Bashto pushing Prim over. Gale ran straight up to him and pushed him away from Prim. "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOUR DOING!" Gale shouted at Josh, Josh got up to punch Gale but Gale was too fast and threw the first punch, Josh was knocked on his feet again. Prim squealed, Gale turned around and said to Prim "Are you alright." But before she could answer Josh was back on his, Grabbed Gales hair and pulled him backwards, Prim squealed again. Gale was on the floor punching and kicking Josh, who was on top of him, they both started to roll around. When they stopped Josh was on top again, Gale went to head but Josh but before he could Josh dropped all his wait on Gale and fell to the side. When Gale got up he saw a rock in Prim's hand before she dropped it to the floor next to Josh, she ran over and gave Gale a hug. Gale was kind of shocked that Prim had knocked Josh out, she was such a sweet, caring, gentle girl, he didn't think she had it in her.

They both went home after that, Gale took the full blame for Josh's injuries; turns out she gave him a concussion which Gale thought amusing. He walked Prim home and they both sat down in the kitchen while having a cup of tea. Prim fixed up Gales face and gave him a kiss on the cheek whilst saying thank you for the day. He tucked Prim in bed and read her a story from one of her favourite books.

When Katniss arrived home she went upstairs to see if her sister was home too, she opened the door and found Gale and Katniss asleep on the bed, a book in Gale hand and in the other Prims arm, Katniss put her bag on the floor, took off her jacket and laid next to Gale, gave him a kiss on the cheek and whispered "I love you." His arm moved, let go of the book and went around Katniss's head, he was still asleep but he knew she was there.


	3. An unwanted visit

**Candle Light chapter 3**

The next morning Prim was up first, she turned over to see Katniss wrapped up in Gale's arms; she smiled and then went down stairs to have breakfast.

Gale woke up first, he watched Katniss sleeping until she woke, and he was afraid what Katniss would think if she found out about what had happened at school. "Gale what's that bruise from?" too late…. "Umm, well…. I kind of got in a ….fight" "What! When?" "Ummm yesterday…" Katniss got up on her elbow "Why?" "Well I was gonna tell you but I fell asleep, umm it was about …. Prim." "WHAT!" Gale went a bit high pitched "Uhhh well … she was getting bullied by someone in my year! I had to do something!" "AND YOU DIDN'T TELL ME!" "Oh my… I just told you I was GOING to tell you but I fell asleep." "Oh right and that makes everything better does it?" Katniss said sarcastically. Gale got up when he heard Prim coming up the stairs, Katniss soon followed. They were both shocked when they saw Prim slam open the door and start telling them off, Gale and Katniss looked at each other and then back at Prim as she carried on. "KATNISS HE FAUGHT FOR ME! IF IT WASN'T FOR GALE I WOULD BE CLEANIING CUTS ON MY FACE RIGHT NOW!" Katniss looked at the floor and then at Gale she smiled weakly and Gale did the same. "GALE!" Gale jumped and looked at Prim in surprise. "KATNISS IS RIGHT THOUGH BECAUSE YOU SHOULD HAVE TOLD HER! I KNOW YOU WERE SLEEPING BUT CAN YOU IMANGE HOW WORRIED SHE WOULD BE!" Gale looked at the floor, the door slammed again as Prim left. "I'm sorry Gale, for being so harsh." "No I should have told you, I would have been angry if you hadn't told me someone was bullying my little sister." Gale went up to Katniss and wrapped her in his arms; Katniss looked up and kissed him.

Prim lifted he ear from the door, smiled and then muttered to herself "And they say there's _no_need for shouting…"

Later that afternoon someone was knocking on the door, Gale got up from the floor of which he was reading a story to Prim and Katniss and went to see who it was. Gale opened the door and saw two peace keepers; he knew straight away that he shouldn't have opened it. "You're gonna have to come with us."


	4. Escape route

**Candle light chapter 4**

Gale stared at the peace keepers in their white suits "Why?" "The fight in school, that boy Josh is pressing charges... Prim Everdeen has to come too." Gale's voice got stronger and fiercer when they mentioned Prim "On what circumstances?" "Josh says she caused the fight and that she should be punished..." Katniss had been listening to the conversation from the hallway, she needed a plan of escape, and she wasn't going to have yet another loved one torn away from her. She ran upstairs and grabbed a few belongings she would need, she said good bye to her mother, ran down stairs and grabbed Prim. "Wait out back, don't make a sound." She whispered to Prim, she gave her the backpack and then went to the front door.

"Is everything alright?" she said innocently as she looked at Gale and gave him a wink, Gale got the message and they both pushed all their weight on to the door slamming it shut. "Wait a minute I'll go grab a chair." "Hurry up…there's two of them here!" "Oh what happened to being mister strong guy that can take down four men at a time?" "….. Just get the chair!" Katniss laughed with the chair in her hand. She positioned the chair under the door handle so it was impossible to move. The peace keepers were trying to break the door down, the banging was unbearable, there was nothing else they could do but run. They made their way to the back where Prim was, and then took off to the woods.

Prim was upset about leaving her mother at home but Katniss told her that they might go back to her, Katniss collected her bow and tried to catch some dinner but with Gale stomping his anger into the ground it was impossible, she gritted her teeth as to not shout at him. Katniss finally caught some food and found a good place to rest and eat. Prim was quite at dinner which made Katniss a bit off edge. "I'm sorry, for everything." Gale said while looking at the ground. Katniss threw some wood onto the fire and said "It's not your fault Gale that Josh is such a prick." Prim looked up with her jaw wide open "Sorry Prim." She shook her head and looked back at the fire, watching the embers being blown around and sway to the floor to turn to ash as she did before on that winters evening. Katniss and Gale talked about what was going to happen next.


	5. A battle field of snow

**A ****battle field of snow**

They had decided, once Prim had fallen asleep Gale was going to stay with Prim while Katniss went back for her mother. She kissed Gale good bye, grabbed her bow and arrow just in case and made way to the wired fence.

Once she arrived she squeezed underneath the wire and went back to her house. "I guess they've given up on looking for us." She thought to herself. She looked around at the snow covered village, it always looked wonderful this time of year she thought. The snow would hide the towns blemishes, unwanted cracks, or dirt. The colour would simply enlighten the whole place.

She entered her house and tiptoed up the stairs, the wood was so cold under her feet although the boots she wore gave her protection she could still feel how long It had been since her mother lit a fire.

She saw her mother sleeping in her bed wrapped up tightly from the cold, she crept over to her to wake her up. Her mother woke up with a stir, she gasped when she saw Katniss beside her sat on the bed. "What are you doing here!" her mum squealed with shock. "I'm here to take you… to come with me and Prim." Katniss stumbled out, she was a bit shocked that her mum was saying it as though she didn't want her there. "Well as much as I'd love to come, THE PEACE KEEPERS ARE LOOKING ALL OVER FOR YOU!" her mother hissed through clenched teeth. "WHAT! But I didn't see any when I came in." "Obviously you didn't their suits blend right in with all that snow!" I jumped up from the bed "WELL COME ON THEN!" "WHAT! You still want me to come, no way I'll only slow you down!" "DON'T BE REDICULOUS IM NOT LEAVING YOU BEHIND! I'LL CARRY YOU IF I HAVE TO!" Katniss started to run around the room and collect the things her mother would need in the woods.

Once they were downstairs Katniss got her mother to pack all her medicine supplies and the book she had with all the instructions of what to collect if she ever forgot. Once they were finished they left through the back door, slowly they let their feet trudge through the snow. Katniss's mother carried all the bags she needed while Katniss held her loaded bow in her hand read to fire.

The wired fence was in sight Katniss's mum started to pick up pace "What are you doing! Your going to attract attention!" Katniss hissed "Oh come one, there haven't been any peace keepers ye…" she was cut off by the click of someone loading their gun. Katniss spun around, she didn't see anyone at first but when she looked at the roof tops she saw the well positioned and armed peace keepers all ready to fire.

"RUUUUN!" Katniss screamed to her mother, she immediately obeyed. Katniss ran but fired her arrows at the same time killing as many as she could without getting it. They were getting tired but the sound of the bullets echoing in the cold winter's air egged them on to keep on running.

They reached the wired fence, Katniss's mother went first while Katniss covered her by keeping the peace keepers busy with the arrows coming their way. Her mother threw the bags over first and then slid underneath the fence and onto the other side entering the cold winter woods. Katniss had run out of arrows, the weird thing was that when she stopped firing so did the peace keepers, it was complete and utter silence. "Katniss come on." Her mother whispered "I can't if I move they'll shoot." _Shit _"Alright on the count of 3." "One…" she nudged her body into a get ready position. "Two…" she bent down a little "Three…"

**Hope you liked it please leave a review ! so sorry I left it for so long x LEAVE A REVIEW! **


	6. Promises

**I'm sooooooo sorry I left it so long x I was writing other stories x hope you like this one x **

"Three…" She dived for the fence. Shell shocked everything was in slow motion. The sound of the bullets beating in her mind as the peace keepers fired all around, the impact of the bullets in the ground causing the snow to be blown into the air.

Katniss felt a sharp pain in her arm as she passed through the fence and landed on the floor flat out in front of her mother who abruptly yanked her up and dragged her deeper into the woods.

"Wha…why… why were there so many, it was only a little fight."

"Apparently Josh knows people and really doesn't like lousing at fights so he exaggerated the story, making it sound as though Prim and Gale broke the law."

Katniss looked up to her mother in shock as she realised how much trouble they were in.

They stumbled through the white snow back to where Gale and Prim were waiting.

When they arrived Katniss's mother put down her stuff and sat by the fire next to Prim where she had fallen asleep.

Gale got up and looking at Katniss, his face went pale as he stared at her.

"What?" Katniss asked out of annoyance of him staring.

"You're hurt." Gale almost whispered, Katniss checked herself until she found the blood stain just below her shoulder.

Her mother stood to see what they were talking about, when she found the blood stain she sat Katniss down and took one of the bags she had packed from the pile of others and found a kit of bandages and some kind of herb used as an antiseptic.

She cleaned Katniss up and went to bed by the still blazing fire. Gale motioned for Katniss to follow him, she got up and did as she was told.

They walked for a few minutes in silence until Gale stopped and turned around abruptly.

"You have to promise me never to do that again." He said placing both hands on her shoulders merely missing her injury.

"Do what?" Gale stared at her more seriously "Please…" His eyes started to water which made Katniss more concerned for him as she had never seen him cry in the amount of years they've known each other.

She gave him a tight hug and whispered.

"I promise."

**A/N**

**Right I'm really sorry for leaving it so long, I was really stuck so please PM me if you have any ideas x oh and PLEASE leave a review x**


	7. Moments never to let go

The next morning Prim awoke to see snow falling gracefully through the trees. She smiled at the sight but was interrupted of her thoughts when she heard a loud snore, she turned over to see Gale fast asleep with Katniss in his arms.

Prim giggled as Gale snored louder causing him to wake up. Prim quickly laid back down and pretend to be asleep. Her eyes closed she listened for movements from Gale, she heard a rustle and then crunches in the snow. She supressed a smile as she knew Gale was walking towards her.

Gale watched Prim as he realised that she was forcing a smile to be hidden. He smiled to himself and then knelt down to tickle Prim.

"What's so funny?" he said while making her squeal in fits of laughter from the tickling.

Katniss opened her eyes to see Gale playing with Prim, she smiled at the thought that she had a best friend/boyfriend that could protect her little sister and car for her as much as she did.

Gale stopped tickling Prim as he heard someone yawn from behind him, he turned to see Katniss awake and whispered to Prim. "Oh no! we've woken up the lockness monster!"

Prim giggled while Katniss raise an eyebrow. "Seriously, the lockness monster… that's the best you could come up with?" she pouted.

"It was the first thing that came to mind ok?" Gale whined causing Prim to giggle again. Gale turned around and raised both eyebrows at her making Prim stop laughing and pretend as though she was watching the snow whistling.

Gale chuckled and turned back towards Katniss as he got up and sat next to her.

"Come on, get up… do you want me to tickle you too?" he said jokingly. Katniss jut shot him an evil glare "You better not."

Gale just smirked causing Katniss's expression to drop before he started to tickle her. Prim soon joined in causing Katniss to scream and laugh.

They finally stopped allowing Katniss to gasp for air. Her head laid back in the snow she allowed time to pass slowly, she watched for a split second a bird at full wingspan fly from above, the snow creating a peaceful image wanting this moment never to end.

Katniss shot up when she heard a woman scream. She tossed her head side to side to see her mum but when she didn't she couldn't help but run towards the direction from where the glass shattering scream was coming from.

Gale picked up Prim and told her to hide somewhere in a tree while he chased Katniss. Not far behind another scream filled the air, Gale knew this was Katniss's. He caught up with her only to see her body frozen, shoulders slumped while she kneeled in the snow. In front of her was her mother, clothes ripped hair covering her face while tears left the edge of her nose and fell to the white snow.

"Hand your selves over or… I pull the trigger."

**A/N**

**Ok so I know you may be confused but all will be explained in the next chapie . As always REVIEW!**


	8. darkness in the snow

The man wearing a black armoured suit holding a pistol to Katniss's mother's head repeated himself

"Hand your selves over or… I pull the trigger!"

Katniss, still kneeling in the snow, let out a small whimper. Gale put his hands out as a sign of _slow down_.

"This really isn't necessary; it was only a little fight in school." Gale protested. The man tutted and stared at Gale while holding the gun still at the poor mother.

"You don't know what's going on do you?" He said almost jokingly.

Gale gave a confused expression causing the man to shake his head.

"Fine if I'm going to have to explain everything to you… _we're _taking all the children, stopping the growth of this population."

Gale not understanding why this would be a good idea pushed on the matter.

"W-why?" he stuttered in a hollow voice.

"_Because_…" The man hissed through gritted teeth. "This district… or your president is planning on over ruling people like me."

Katniss raised her head as she heard crunching in the snow, she let her eyes wonder across the white blanket but couldn't see anyone.

"Who are people like you?" Gale said.

The man was about to answer but was startled by the loud scream from above. Everyone's gaze followed suit to the scream as they saw Prim jumping out of a tree and dive onto the man.

"GET AWAY FROM MY MOTHER!"

The man fell to the floor, gun knocked out of his hand. Prim started to punch him but he started to scramble for the gun. Katniss dived on him as well while Gale grabbed the gun.

Everyone stopped as Gale held the gun to the man's head.

Prim and Katniss got off the man and picked up their mother. They walked her over to a tree and sat her down.

"Who are you and where are you from!" Gale said his voice slightly shaky as he had never handled a gun before.

"I'm from the capitol, I work higher up in business, they send me out to do their dirty work."

"Who do?" Gale said waving the gun a little.

"You already know too much." The man said in a slight whisper

"Oh so their… whoever they are, aren't going to torture you for what you've already said?" Katniss bellowed.

The man's face paled at Katniss's words, it was obvious he was afraid of whoever he was working for. He didn't speak after that, the snow falling in the silence of the woods.

Whispers of comfort left Katniss's mouth to help her mother, Prim was just hugging her, holding on as tight as she could never to let go.

"How can you do this…" Prim hissed.

"How can you let so many children die, when they have done nothing." Prim carried on, her words becoming more vicious and hateful each time she spoke.

"BECAUSE THEY HAVE MY FAMILY! I made a deal with them that if I did their dirty work, then they would let go of my family, you don't think that with every child I give them I don't see my children's eyes in theirs. That I don't regret letting so many children die and not think of them as my own."

There was silence then, silence of black mail, the powerful blows of each words sinking in.

Gale lowered the gun, taking pity among the man. "We can help you, you know if you help us."

The man only shook his head, thoughts cramming into his mind taking over.

"I guess no matter what I do I can't help them, I won't be able to live with myself if anything happens to them."

"No, no it'll…" Gale was interrupted when the man grabbed the gun.

The sound of a gunshot rung in the air.

**A/N**

**Ok what did ya think, I know things are getting a bit dramatic but I had to make it a bit more dramatic. So tell me what ya think as always and to those that have already reviewed, favourite and followed I just have to say something to you… **

**I LOVE YOU ALL **

**xxx**


	9. Blood filled crevices

Prim lifted a finger from her eye that she was shielding, to see blood running through the white snow, flowing in the creases of the white blanket.

"GALE!" Prim screamed.

She ran forward and hugged him tightly as he stand there frozen.

"I thought it was you who was shot!" she cried holding him tighter as Gale took his gaze off the dead man in front of him and looked down at Prim. He fell to his knees and held Prim tighter.

"I thought that too." He whispered, shock obviously still running through his veins.

Katniss watched from the floor, her mother still in her arms. Her breathing short, the only thing she remembered was the sound of gunfire ringing through the air, the man dropping to the floor and Gale standing dead still, so why was it that she felt a warm liquid forming from her right thigh?

With gasp her hand traced the blood, a deep wound was felt.

When the man shot himself he did it execution style, meaning from the head but of course Katniss was on the other side meaning the bullet went through and through.

Katniss's mother felt the sudden short breath and looked over to her only to see the amount of blood forming from her thigh.

Katniss was now breathing in long shivered gasps, her leg going cold and the pain taking over any thought in her mind.

"Gale get my bag now" Katniss's mother said in a calm but steady voice.

"Wha…" He looked over to see Katniss shaking and holding her thigh and he mother beside her putting pressure on the wound.

"Katniss, what happened?" Gale exclaimed forgetting about the bag already.

"Gale please, I'm in a lot of pain here JUST GET THE DRUGS!" Katniss shouted desperately.

Gale ran to where they all slept last night and picked up all the bags not knowing which was hers.

Running back he heard Prim crying and her mother speaking the words he so badly didn't want to hear.

"No, no, no!"

**A/N**

**I know I'm cruel for leaving so many cliff hangers there's one at least every chapter but hoped you liked this chapter, please leave a review of what you thought. x**


	10. Panic

**A/N **

**I'm sooo sorry for not updating sooner, the only reason that's for is because I've been trying to write five stories at the same time, meaning some get updated later than the rest. But to make up for it I'll try and write more and update more often for a while x THANK YOU for the LOVELY reviews seriously makes me so happy!**

Gale started to run, his heart pumping, the sound of his feet in the snow echoed through his mind like a heartbeat.

He came to a halt when he saw Prim crying and her mother soothing her, his eyes averted to Katniss only to see hers closed.

"NO!" was the word that escaped Gale's mouth as he dropped the bags and flung himself towards Katniss.

Holding her face in his hands, she opened her eyes and looked into Gales. He was crying which for some reason made her smile.

"Katniss?" He whispered in disbelief.

"I thought you were… why are you smiling." Gale asked

"Because… you thought I was dead." She gave a light chuckle

Gale eyes widened and his mouth shaped as though he was going to blow a whistle.

"How is that funny?" He exclaimed a bit too high pitched.

Prim giggled at Gale's voice and Katniss's mother broke a smile.

"Because… how can someone die from a flesh wound in matter of seconds." Katniss said weakly

Now Katniss's mother started to laugh properly as Gale blushed, Prim just put a hand on Gale's shoulder.

"Then why were you crying?" Gale askes Prim, now accusing her about his mistake.

"Because my sister has just been shot!" Prim said so sarcastically it put a smile on Katniss's lips.

Katniss's mother stood and retrieved one of the bags, she started to attend to Katniss's wound by pouring some kind of liquid on to it causing Katniss to hiss in pain and then wrapped it up with a bandage tightly making sure the blood would stop flowing.

Forgetting only for a moment about what the man had said, they retrieved to where they had slept the previous night.

Gale packed their things and decided to take them deeper into the woods.

**A/N**

**Ok I know this isn't much but I knew I couldn't leave you one the edge any longer so I thought I should at least give you something x **

**Hope you like it anyways … as always REVIEW xxx**


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